Lubricating means for tube mills



J. E. KENNEDY LUBRICATING MEANS FOR TUBE MILLS Dec. 8, 1953 2 Sheets-Sheer, l

Filed June 10, 1948 J if Kennedy J. E. KENNEDY 2,661,813

LUBRICATING MEANS FOR TUBE MILLS Dec. 8, 1953 2 Sheets-Sheer 2 Filed June 1o. 194e mVENToR. E'. Kennedy Patented Dec. 8, 1953 U N IT STATES i P'T*"Eii'il'y'Y OFFICE 2,661,813 LUBRICATING S FOR TUBE Joseph Kennedy, New York, N. Y.

Application June 10, 1948,='Se1*ialNo."32,"212

2 claims. (01.1.84--61 This :invention relates to 'the lubrication-of ztnhe mills including a drum having hollow .trunnions axially at 'the opposite ends 'to rotatably'support the drum in bearings .of supports for the zd-num. The material to be reduced :is fed Sinto the .drum through one of the trunnions and is kreduced vin the drum as the `drum Sis :rotated 4by the .impact and the attritive .action fof :freely moving elements therein. The reduced material in the drum is delivered therefrom. through Vthe other trunin suspension in an stream.

Hihis application is -a continuation-:impart .and improvement over my copending .application Sen No 150.0;561, filed .June 20.119515, for Improved Mill, issued as Patent No. .:2,8.6,47.7, .on November 1, 1949.

Due to :the Weight of the lilium .on :each bearing, which is .approximately 1138,'000 pounds :in a drum :l0 feet in diameter and :18 .feet long, it requites .a .great `amount of power'to .start 'the rotationcfthedrum. r f

it is the object of the invention to provide a force .feed .lubricating .system which will reduce the friction between `.the drum 'trunnions :and the bearings and :reduce the .amount of power nequired. ltotstart the rotation of the drum.

Itxis another object of the :invention to provide supports with wells for .carrying lubricant, one of said wells carrying -a .supply Vof lubricant .and

the other well being at a higher level than and connected-in .communication Awith the rs't well to return excess lubricant thereto.' and lmeans fto force Afeed the lubricant from the rstwell to the bearings of both supports tov lubrcate :said bearings and -lift and support the trunn'ons there* from, the vexcess lubricant in vthe bearings 'Tlowing :into 'the Wells of the respective supports.

It a further object ofthe invention :to .provide each bearing and trunnion with `a tongue arrd groove engagement to prevent an undue amount of lubricant leaving .the bearing and separating the lbearing surface lfrom the support therefor.

Another object of the invention .is to provide each bearing with a lubricant receiving .groove in the bearing surface extending cireumierentially of `the bearing and at the 'vertical Vcenter Athereof and .connected in .communication with .the :means to force feed the lubricant from the lubricant supply well to the bearing.

Further Objects and advantages v0f the invention will appear in the -detaileddeseniption ofthe invention. A

.1n the drawingsaccompanying `and forming a part of this application, Figure ll is Iacide elevational view of a drum of .atube milLpartly `in section, ishowing the bearing supports for Vthe druml trnnnons connected .in .communication with zav `force feed lnlnvcatmg system.

Fignre n fragmentary longitudinal sectional View. on an enlarged scale, .of .the bearing at the; discharge aend nf the tube ,mill .to show in greater detail the ,lubricating 'system thereof.

Figure 3 is a fragmentary cross sectional View' of a hearing and drumitrnnnion.v

gnre 4 is .a .fragmentary :plan viewof :a bearing showing sa lubricant :receiving groove therein.

.Rigide 5 a :sectionai -view of the hibricant .de-

rend nf va reondnit arranged in the Efbearing to, connect itheslubricant receiving 'groove -in. communication connection 'miththe @um of'a tube .mill cof usualY constnuction inclndinga k.cylin'dnical body vFI and heads B and@ -fsecured to the l:ends of said oody.

l The heads-z8 and 9 have axial inunnions i1) and H.,

respectively, extending laterally therefrom vto rotatably :support the vdrinn in bearings.. Each bearing .comprises a semiacircular steel member IZ having chambers .f1.3 for .the :circulation .of a loool-` ing mediumfand a bearing lining .covering the bearing .surface :and .anchored in the sides of the member i2, as shown at Min Figures 1 and 2.. In`v the present embodimentrof the invention, leach trimmen yarranged with an .annular ridge or tongue to engage aqcorrespondingrecess .orfgroove in the bearing lining, :as lshown at 15, `for 'a pur- Dose to be .hereinafter described.

The bearing member l2 supporting the 'drum trunnion 4i-is secured in'fa fsemi-.circularsupport- I .mounted on axfmmrlation pillar ILT, .as .-rs'hownl in Figurezl. Thehearing member |2 supportingV the drum trunnion His secured in .a semi-circu-- lar seatpontion :t8 arranged in .a side wall -of a support in the form of awell i 9 containing a jdesired amount fof. lubricant., as .indicated at 220..

The drum trunnion t0 .and 'bearing i2-#l5 therefor are 'enclosed fby a hood 2| mounted lon the support t6., as indicated at 22 in Fig-ure 1, and 4forming a well'23 -at the lower portion thereof Cto receive excess lubricant from the .bearing I'Zfj-f-Ii. The well 23 is .connected in communication with the well `Hl through a `pipe 24, the iubrica-nt, such as mineraloiLfmWing-by gravity from: theme11v 23 .to .the well t9, as the well 23 .is ata' higher elevationthan ,the well 1:9. A sleeve 25 having a material feed screw 26 on the interior face is secured in the trunnion I in abutting relation to an annular lining member 2l of wear resisting material disposed relative to the inner face of the head 8 and secured to said head, as shown in Figure 1. The trunnion I0 is provided with means to lift lubricant from the well 23 and distribute it over said trunnion and bearing. This means comprises an annular plate 28 having a lateral iiange 29 at the outer periphery and secured to the drum trunnion I0 at the inner periphery of the annular plate, as shown in Figure 1. The lubricant adhering to the plate is removed therefrom by a sweep pivotally supported by the hood 2l as shown in dotted lines at 30 in Figure 1.

The drum trunnion II and -bearing I 2--I5 therefor are enclosed by a hood 3| mounted on the well I9, as shown at 32. Through the drum trunnion II, the drum is connected to means, such as a fan not shown, to induce a ow of air into and from the drum with reduced material in suspension discharged through said trunnion. This is accomplished bya conduit, shown in`dot and dash lines 33, extended through a center opening in the hood 3l and connected to a sleeve 34 mounted in the trunnion II, as shown in Figure 1.

The drum is rotated from a suitable source of power operatively connected to a gear 35 secured, as at 36, to the drum trunnion II with the teeth passing through the lubricant in well I9, whereby the rotation of the gear 35 will lift the lubricant in well I9'relative to sweeps pivotally supported by the hood 3l on opposite sides of the gear, as shown in dotted lines at 3'I in Figure 1, to distribute the lubricant over the "trunnion II and the bearing I2-I5`therefor. 'I'he lubricant in well I9 may be cooled 'by a coil 38 connected in circulation with a'source of a cooling medium.

It has been found that the distribution of the lubricant in the wells 23 and I9 by the lift 28, 29 and gear 35 over the trunnions III, IIv` and the bearings I2-I5 does not overcome the frictional` drag on the trunnions occurring in starting the rotation of the drum; It is'the principal object of this invention to Vovercome this frictional drag by force feed lubrication of the bearings I2-I5. In carrying out this object, each ofthe bearing surfaces of the linings I4 is provided with a groove 39 extending circumferentially of the center of the bearing surface and of the recess I5 therein. The groove 39 is also in the longitudinal center of the recess I5 as seen in Figure 4. The opposite ends of the groove 39 terminate equal distances from the transverse center of the lining and equal distances from the respective terminal sides or tops of the semi-circular bearing lining. In this construction, as shown in Figures 3 and 4, the distances between the ends of the fgrooves 39 and the respective terminal sides of the bearing lining are greater than the distances between the ends of the groove 39 and the transverse center of the bearing surface. The grooves 39 are each provided with a conduit for delivering lubricant thereto comprising a pipe 40 partly embeddedv in each vof the bearing members I2 by being engaged in a groove 4Iv in each of said members I2 and the upper exposed portion of the pipe is covered by the lining I4. One end of the pipes 4l) terminates adjacent one end of each of the grooves 39 and is closed in avsuitable manner, as

by welding as shown at 42 in Figure 5. Adjacent`v said closed end ofeach of the pipes 40, there is provided a discharge Vorifice 43 inthe Wall o f the pipes in register with an opening 44 in each of the linings I4 terminating at the end portion of each of the grooves 39. Each of the opposite ends of the pipe 40 terminates at a side of each bearing and is connected to a short section of pipe 45 by a coupling member 45 in a recess in the lining I4 and bearing member I2, as shown in Figure 3. The pipes 45 are retained in proper position in the bearings I2-I 5 by clamping brackets 41 having a center portion encircling the portion of the pipes 49 covered by the linings I4 and the opposite end portions of said brackets secured to the bearing members I2, as shown in Figure 6. The pipes 43 are positioned in the grooves 4I and the brackets 4'I are mounted in pipe securing position on the bearing members l2 before the linings I4 are applied to the bearing members I2.

Lubricant in the Well I3 is force fed through the pipes 45, 43 to the grooves 39 by a pair of rotary circulating pumps 48, 49, the pump 48 having an inlet connected in communication with the lubricant in the well I9 through a conduit 50 having one end connected to the inlet of the pump and the opposite end terminating in the well I9 ybelow the normal level of the lubricant therein. The outlet of the pump 43 is connected in communication with the short pipe 45 associated with the trunnion II by a pipe 5I connected at one end to the outlet of the pump 48 and having the opposite end connected to a pipe section 52 extended through the hood 3I and connected to the short pipe 45 by an angular coupling member 53, as shown in Figure 3. The entry of pipe section 52 into the hood 3I is sealed by a gasket 54 to prevent leakage of lubricant from the hood 3 I.

The inlet of pump 49 is connected in communication with the lubricant in the'well I9 through a conduit 55 having one end connected to the inlet of pump 49 and the opposite end thereof extended into the Well at the same level as the inlet end of conduit 53. The outlet of the pump49 is connected in communication with the pipes 45, 4U and groove 39 of the bearing I2--I5 supporting the trunnion Ill through a conduit 56 having one end connected to the outlet of the pump 49 and the other end connected to the pipes 45, 40 and groove 39 of the bearing I2-I5 supporting the trunnion Ill in the same manner as conduit 5I is connected with the pipes 45, 49 and groove 39 of thebearing I2-I5 supporting the trunnion II.

The lubricant being delivered by the pumps 48 and 49 to the grooves 39 may be cleaned by interposing a ltering element 5l in the conduits 5I and 56, as shown in Figure 2 relative to conduit 5I. The pressure at which the lubricant is delivered to the bearings I2-l5 may be indicated by a pressure gauge mounted on and in communication with the conduits 5I and 56, as shown at 58 in Figure 2 in connection with conduit 5I.

I'he lubricant delivered to the grooves 39 will flow longitudinally thereof land after'said grooves are full of lubricant, the lubricant will flow laterally from the grooves in opposite directions, .so that a uniform lm of lubricant is formed between the linings I4 and the trunnions l0, I I, and said trunnions are lifted from the linings I4 and supported by said lm of lubricant, which will greatly facilitate the starting of the drum. In practice it has been found that the drum will assume its equilibrium after vlubricant has been pumped to the grooves 39 due to the weight of the material to be reduced and the reducing elements in tliedrum, which are usually at one side of the" longitudinal axis of the drum.

The tongue and groove engagements l5 between the trunnions and the bearing linings will prevent an undue amount of lubricant owing from the bearing linings which might loosen the anchorage of said bearing linings in the members I2.

The invention covered in this application constitutes an improvement over that disclosed in the applicants copending application Ser. No. 45,073, filed August 19, 1948, as a division of application Ser. No. 600,561, the divisional application having been issued as Patent Number 2,632,529 on March 24, 1953.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

1. In a support and lubricating means for tube mills of the type including a drum having hollow axial trunnions at its opposite ends rotatably supporting the drum in semi-circular bearings mounted in supports, the improvement in which at least one of said trunnions includes an annular ridge intermediate the ends of the trunnion and in which the semi-circular bearing supporting said trunnion is provided with a recess corresponding to and receiving the annular ridge of the trunnion, said ridge and recess having side walls extending substantially normal-to the axis of the trunnion, said semi-circular bearing hav- 1 ing a lubricant-receiving groove in its upper surface midway of the ends of the bearing and of the sides of the recess therein, said groove extending circumferentially of the center of the semi-circular bearing with the ends of the groove spaced a greater distance from the respective terminal sides of the semi-circular bearing than from the transverse center of said bearing, a conduit in said bearing having one end connected in communication with the lubricant-receiving groove in the bearing, and means connected in communication with the opposite end of said conduit adapted to feed lubricant under pressure through the conduit to the groove to lll the groove with lubricant and lift and support the drum trunnion by a lm of lubricant iiowing laterally from the groove in opposite directions over the upper surface of the bearing.

2. In a support and lubricating means for tube mills of the type including a drum having hollow axial trunnions at its opposite ends for rotatably supporting the drum, and a support for each drum trunnion arranged with a semi-circular i bearing rotatably engaged by said drum trunnion and a well to receive excess lubricant from the bearing, the improvement in which each of said drum trunnions includes an annular ridge intermediate its ends and in which the semi-circular bearing supporting said trunnion is provided with a recess corresponding to and receiving the annular ridge of the trunnion, said ridge and recess having side walls extending substantially normal to the axis of the trunnion, each of said semi-circular bearings having a lubricant receiving groove in its upper surface midway of the ends of the bearing and of the sides of the recess therein, said groove extending circumferentially of the center of the semi-circular bearing with the ends of the groove spaced a greater distance from the respective terminal sides of the semi-circular bearing than from the transverse center of said bearing, the Well for receiving excess lubricant from one of said semi-circular bearings being at a higher level than the well for receiving excess lubricant for the other bearing, means for conducting lubricant from the well at the higher level into the well at the lower level, a conduit in each of said semi-circular bearings having one end connected into the groove in said bearing, and means connected in communication with the opposite end of the conduit for each groove and with the lubricant well at the lower level for withdrawing lubricant therefrom and supplying lubricant under pressure through the respective conduits to the grooves in the respective semi-circular bearings to ll the grooves with lubricant and lift and support the drum trunnions by iilms of lubricant flowing laterally from the grooves in opposite directions over the upper surfaces of the semi-circular bearings.

JOSEPH E. KENNEDY.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 692,982 Capewell Feb. 11, 1902 1,157,390 Hewitt Oct. 19, 1915 1,467,251 Roos Sept. 4, 1923 1,616,829 Saybolt Feb. 8, 1927 2,062,250 Moller Nov. 24, 1936 2,299,825 Kennedy Oct. 27, 1942 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 722,148 France Dec. 28, 1931 331,734 Germany Jan. 14, 1921 

